Social Media

Thailand issues warnings after smog blankets major cities Bangkok and northern towns have been enveloped in a toxic haze for weeks. Thai authorities have urged children and pregnant women to stay indoors and people to wear masks outside, as toxic smog covers vast areas of the country, leading more than one million people to seek medical attention, officials said. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha begged farmers to stop burning crop stubble and called for the eradication of exhaust-spewing vehicles. Thailand’s Pollution Control Department issued a public health notice Friday asking citizens to “reduce their time doing outdoor activities and use personal protective equipment if necessary.” Vulnerable groups, including the elderly, children, and pregnant women were told to stay indoors. Since the beginning of the year, more than 1.3 million people in Thailand have fallen ill from air pollution, a senior public health official said Thursday, adding that more than 200,000 people were hospitalized this week alone Full Story

Nearly 200,000 people hospitalised as Thailand chokes on air pollution Around 1.3 million people have fallen ill till date due to the increasing levels of air pollution, authorities say Nearly 200,000 people have been hospitalised in Thailand this week due to hazardous air pollution, as the country is choking on a thick haze that has engulfed the capital city, Bangkok. The severe pollution has been caused by a dangerous mix of industrial emissions, agricultural burning, and vehicle fumes. The rising levels of air pollution in Thailand have put immense pressure on the country’s healthcare services. More than 1.3 million people have fallen sick since the start of the year as a result of air pollution, with nearly 200,000 admitted to hospital this week alone, AFP reported, quoting the public health ministry. Full story

Scientists have been able to quickly sober up inebriated mice by boosting their levels of a naturally produced hormone they share with humans, giving hope for a potential hangover cure. The research, led by scientists from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in the US, could be key to someday treating drunkenness in humans. The hormone, which is called FGF21, has drawn scientists' attention for years: it is produced by the liver and plays a significant role in helping - both humans and mice - process certain foods, particularly alcohol.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began a surprise visit to Ukraine early Tuesday, hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in neighboring Russia for a three-day visit. The dueling summits come as the longtime rivals are on diplomatic offensives. Kishida will meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Ukrainian capital. He will “show respect to the courage and patience of the Ukrainian people who are standing up to defend their homeland under President Zelenskyy’s leadership, and show solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine as head of Japan and chairman of G-7,” during his visit to Ukraine, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in announcing his trip to Kyiv.

US president Joe Biden has signed a bipartisan bill that directs the federal government to declassify as much intelligence as possible about the origins of COVID-19. Since the pandemic began three years ago, its origin has been the subject of a heated scientific and political debate. Biden signed the bill on March 20, after it passed the US House and Senate without dissent. The legislation instructs the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to declassify intelligence related to China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology. It cites “potential links” between the research that was done there and the outbreak of COVID-19, which the World Health Organization declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

Chinese President Xi Jinping should press Vladimir Putin to "halt the war crimes" in Ukraine, the US has urged. The two will meet again on Tuesday for official talks during Mr Xi's first visit to Moscow since the invasion. The White House's National Security Council spokesman called on Mr Xi to urge his Russian counterpart to withdraw troops from Ukraine. John Kirby said seeking a ceasefire would not be enough. "We hope that President Xi will press President Putin to cease bombing Ukrainian cities, hospitals and schools, to halt the war crimes and atrocities and to withdraw his troops," he said. "But we are concerned that instead China will reiterate calls for a ceasefire that leaves Russian forces inside Ukraine's sovereign territory and any ceasefire that does not address the removal of Russian forces from Ukraine would effectively ratify Russia's illegal conquests."

Answers to popular questions on the subject found from various internet sources. What is going green and why is it important? "Going green" means to pursue knowledge and practices that can lead to more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions and lifestyles, which can help protect the environment and sustain its natural resources for current and future generations. What is the green concept? Green concept in manufacturing is defined as the creation of manufactured products that use processes that are non-polluting, conserve energy and natural resources, and are economically sound and safe for employees, communities, and consumers. Green manufacturing is also called as sustainable manufacturing. What are examples of green practices? Sustainable Purchasing. Electronics Stewardship. Transportation. Pollinator Protection. Waste Diversion. Pollution Prevention. What is an example of going green? One of the simplest ways to make a difference is to swap your plastic bottle for a reusable one. Creating a single liter plastic water bottle requires at least 6 liters of water to produce. Not only will you help to conserve water you will also help limit the number of plastic bottles that flood landfills Why going green is a trend? It means recycling when possible, using sustainable products, eating local food and doing whatever you can to decrease your impact on Mother Earth. The trend is driven largely by the ever-growing scientific suggestion that global warming is real and problematic

The European Union’s strategy to turn Europe into the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 is doomed to failure. Yet, that can be prevented if it rejects the greenwashing of carbon offsetting programmes and shifts policy and finance flows towards genuine climate solutions focused on reducing emissions in line with the science. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), charged with advancing scientific knowledge about anthropogenic climate change, is due to release its sixth synthesis report on 20 March, which is expected to indicate there is no further room for offsets. It shows that by continuing to channel policy focus and financial flows towards mitigation efforts such as carbon offsets and other false solutions — and away from adaptation and the real solutions — we are delaying the immediate emission reduction target by 2030, and we will offshoot 1.5.

Moved to the ALL NEW Green Forum !

What climate information will be added to weather forecasts? In addition to the classic presentation of the weather, "there will be figures, data, we can come back, for example, on temperature anomalies, on the issue of water tables, or even explain the winter drought," Kara continued. Initially, this additional information will mainly be provided in the evening weather bulletins on France 2 and France 3. The forecasts will be extended by one and a half and two minutes respectively. Eventually, the system will be extended to daytime bulletins, according to Mr Kara, who was appointed last October.

If we act now, we can still secure a liveable, sustainable future for all,” Chair Hoesung Lee said at the launch of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. Written by the world’s leading climate experts, it lays out a clear path to drastically cut emissions and repair the damage that’s already been done. But it requires governments to get onboard and fund it - without delay. This Synthesis Report brings together all the most up-to-date science on our warming planet. It shows that, despite the unprecedented scale of the challenge, there are many solutions available to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Most importantly, they are available to us right now. In 2018, the IPCC made the world aware of the unprecedented challenge of keeping global warming to 1.5°C. Five years later, it says that the challenge has become even bigger as GHG emissions have continued to rise.

The World Air Qiality Index https://waqi.info/ Thailand AQI https://aqicn.org/map/thailand/

Eco-anxiety, climate doom, environmental existential dread - as green journalists, we see these terms used a lot - and often feel them ourselves. While there's a lot to be worried about when it comes to the climate and nature crises, we must not lose hope - because hopelessness breeds apathy. The media has an important role to play in combatting climate doom. It's our job to be truthful and accurate in our reporting, not trying to downplay or greenwash the situation. But it's also our job to show that there is hope. In 2022, as part of our ongoing effort to tackle eco-anxiety (both that of our readers and our own), we kept track of all the positive environmental news throughout the year - racking up over 100 stories of eco-innovation, green breakthroughs and climate wins.

Spanish environmentalists on Monday called on the European Union to investigate the approval of 26.4 million euros of “green” economic recovery funds to join two ski resorts in the rapidly warming Pyrenees mountain range. Five activist groups sent a delegation to Brussels for meetings this week with EU officials. They want greater scrutiny of a project they claim will cause irreversible damage to the glacial valley of Canal Roya in the Aragon region.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has just released its latest report from the world’s leading climate experts. They say that the reality of the crisis is bad and it is rapidly getting worse. But the IPCC’s scientists have underlined that there is an enormous opportunity to change the course of the future - it is “now or never”. The Paris Agreement warming limit of 1.5C is still within reach. We have the solutions we need in this critical decade to cut emissions and exit from fossil fuels. So how have politicians, conservationists and environmental groups reacted to the IPCC’s “final warning” on the climate crisis? 'Make no mistake, inaction and delays are not options': Latest IPCC report has been approved IPCC report: Here’s how we can defuse the ‘ticking time bomb’ of climate change

Solar panels could be installed in the spaces between railway tracks in world first. Swiss start-up Sun-Ways is installing panels near Buttes train station in the west of the country in May, pending sign-off from the Federal Office of Transport. As the climate crisis demands that we speed up Europe’s energy transition, developers have been seeing new potential in unusual surfaces. Roadsides, reservoirs and farms are all finding space for solar systems. And Germany’s Deutsche Bahn is also experimenting with adding solar cells to railway sleepers. https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/03/17/solar-panels-could-be-installed-in-the-spaces-between-railway-tracks-in-world-first

Twenty years after the US-led invasion of Iraq, the country remains mired in corruption, political instability and violence. According to OPEC, the Organisation of Oil Exporting Countries, Iraq has the world’s fourth largest reserves after Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran. But the country's citizens see little benefit, with power cuts commonplace in many parts of the country. Billions of dollars worth of revenue is either syphoned off through corruption or fail to reach the national coffers. Militias continue to dominate parts of the country and the creation of lasting and stable governments is proving elusive. High youth unemployment leaves millions of people with little prospect for the future.

Iranian authorities have committed violations since protests erupted last year that may amount to crimes against humanity, a UN expert has warned. Special rapporteur Javaid Rehman told the UN Human Rights Council that he was alarmed by the scale and gravity of the reported cases of murder, imprisonment, enforced disappearance, torture, rape and persecution. He called for an international fact-finding mission to investigate them. Iran said the allegations were made up. Protests swept across the Islamic Republic in September following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was detained by morality police in Tehran for allegedly wearing her hijab "improperly". Iran's state coroner attributed her death to pre-existing medical conditions, but Mr Rehman said the evidence established that she died "as a result